From Fullmetal to Golden Fire
by FighteroftheSea
Summary: Ed and Al lost their bodies committing a taboo. Now they are on a journey to find a way to get them back. Along the way, secret pasts are discovered, feelings are realized and for most, nothing is as it appears. Gender bender Fem!Ed
1. Prologue

**Title: From Fullmetal to Golden Fire**

**Pairings: Roy/Fem!Ed, Al/Win**

**Rating: T**

**Summary: Ed and Al lost their bodies committing a taboo. Now they are on a journey to find a way to get them back. Along the way, secret pasts are discovered, feelings are realized and for most, nothing is as it appears. Gender bender Fem!Ed**

**Prologue**

"Al! No, Al, come back! Give him back to me! He can't die! I'll give you anything, just give him back!

On that dark night, I gave up my arm for his soul, binding it to a suit of armor using a seal of my own blood. As soon as I knew he was okay, or as okay as he could be, I gave in to the fatigue. I later found out he had carried me to Granny Pinako and Winry. Luckily, Granny was the one that bound my shoulder and knee, the places where my limbs were missing. Soon after a man came, showing up out of the blue. Mustang was his name. He was a military man, and an alchemist at that. He gave me what I needed, stoked the fire of determination to get my brother's body back. He gave me the courage to undergo automail surgery.

"Ed, you can scream. Even grown men do. This is a very painful procedure."

I'm not sure who spoke. I was in too much pain. But I managed to grit out a reply, blood pouring from my wounds, metal ports being attached to my nerves and muscles.

"This is nothing compared to what he's going through."

From outside the door I heard a gasp. Al. Now he probably feels guilty. I wish I could remedy that but I know that no matter what I say, it won't change his mind.

Over the course of a year I managed to complete a three year rehabilitation. But not without some hardships.

"Ed! Ed, open this door! NOW!"

I heard the door burst open but I couldn't move from my position in front of the toilet, blood stream from my open mouth, tears filming over my eyes but not escaping. This happened quite a few times but it got better until it stopped and I was fully rehabilitated. Then, Al and I were ready to leave for Central.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own fullmetal alchemist, any of its variations or the characters. I only own my ideas and changes.**

**This is the only disclaimer I will do. I expect it to stand for the whole story.**

'**word' – talking on the phone**

"**word"- regular speaking**

**Word- thoughts or descriptions**

**Chapter 1**

**EPOV**

"Well Granny, Winry. I guess this is goodbye," I stated.

"Wait Ed. I need to speak with you."

Granny. I wondered when she'd confront me about this.

"Alright Granny. Let's talk outside." So outside we went.

"Ed, why are you pretending? This is fraud. If they find out you'll be court-martialed or executed. Why can't you be who you really are?"

"Granny, female officers aren't exactly in high demand and it's even less so with female state alchemists. They probably wouldn't even let me take the exam."

"Does Al know? That you aren't his brother but his sister?"

"No, he doesn't. I've been pretending my entire life. What're a few more years? Al will find out eventually. Hell, I'll probably hafta tell him soon. But it'll hafta be after the exam."

"Ed, what about when you start…err… "developing?" What are you going to do then?

"Don't worry Granny! I've got a plan. Anyway, we hafta go! See ya!"

I ran back to the house, meeting up with Al, and walked to the train station.

"Brother, what were you and Granny talking about?"

"Al, I'll tell you after the exam."

"If you're gonna tell me anyway, then why not tell me now?"

"For reasons that you'll understand after I become a state alchemist, Al. Now, I'm gonna get some rest. Long trip ahead! Night Al!

~~~0~~~

"Al, I'm gonna go use the phone. Got an important call to make."

"Okay! I'll be… here I guess…."

"Go play with the cats. I'll be back."

I walked toward the back of the train where the phones are.

"Hey kid, what're you doin'?"

"I need to use a phone. This is the way to the phones, right?"

"Yeah but they're being used. Let me see if they'll get out. Yo, Hughes, I got a kid out here that needs the phone!"

"Just a sec! Talking to Lieutenant Colonel Mustang!"

Lieutenant Colonel Mustang?

"Wait, that's who I need to talk to," I said.

What! You're just a kid! What do you need to talk to a military man for, shorty," the man questioned.

"Who you callin' so small Mustang wouldn't even notice he'd stepped on him, huh?"

"Fuery, shut up! What's your name, kid?"

"None of your business!"

"If you don't tell me I can't let you talk to the colonel."

'Hughes, what's going on? Who wants to talk to me…? Hughes!'

'Just hold on a minute lieutenant colonel! Let me get his name!' "Now kid, what's your name!"

"It's Edward Elric, Major Hughes. Please relay my name to Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. I'm certain he'll be… excited, to hear from me."

"Alright… I'll tell him." 'Sir, he said his name is Edward Elric…'

'Edward Elric!' Put him on, now!'

'Alright.' "Here Elric."

"Thanks." 'Lieutenant Colonel, It's Edward Elric.'

'Edward, what are you doing on that train?'

'Whaddaya think, bastard? I'm heading to central.'

I heard a hushed gasp from Hughes and Fuery as I insulted the Lieutenant Colonel. They were obviously expecting a blowup I knew wouldn't come.

'Why are you coming to Central, Edward?'

'Are you seriously that much of an idiot! I'm coming to take the exam like you suggested!'

'Oh… Oohhhh! What about Alphonse?'

'Mustang, you know he know he can't. He'd be… We'd be… He just can't. He is with me though.'

'I understand, and don't worry. I'll arrange a place for you to stay while you're here.'

'Do you honestly think I won't pass? It's impossible for me to fail. Al's future is riding on this.'

'What about yours?'

'My future doesn't matter. As long as Al ends up okay I'll be happy whether I die or not.'

I noticed two people choking outside the door and knew they'd heard, but to be honest, It didn't matter.

'Edward, isn't that a little extreme? Don't you care about yourself?

'It may be extreme to you but for me it's the only way. It's my fault my baby brother is going through this and I'll do anything to dix it, even die. The one thing I won't do is kill someone else for this. Al made me promise and I always keep my word.'

'Alright, put Hughes on. I'm going to talk him into letting you stay with him and his pregnant wife. Good experience for them.'

'Fine, whatever. Just… don't tell them what happened, okay? Not till after the exam.'

'Alright. Now, let me speak with Hughes.'

"Yo, Hughes! Mustang wants to talk to ya!

"Alright!"

**Hughes POV**

'Hey Mustang. What's going on? Who is that kid and what were you two talking about?'

'That "kid" is Edward Elric. Don't worry about what we were talking about, you'll find out soon enough. Now, I need you and Gracia to take the boys in and let them stay with you awhile.'

'Sure. Wait, plural?'

'Yeah, Edward and his younger brother Alphonse. You'll only need to feed Edward though. Don't ask why. And you'll find out why they're here soon enough. Take care of them Hughes. They're very important to the country and my goals, especially Edward. Now put him back on the phone.'

'Alright.' "Edward!" The Lieutenant Colonel wants to speak to you again!"

**EPOV**

"Fine, gimme the phone." 'Whaddaya want now?'

'I got Hughes to let the two of you stay with him. Now, we need to talk about the exam process and what you'll need to do to pass.'

'Can't we talk about that when I actually see you Mustang?'

'I suppose it can wait. Anyway, I'm going to drop off some alchemy books at Hughes' house for you to study when you get there. You need to keep sharp. I'll register you for the exam and come see you and Alphonse the day after you get here. Then we can talk.'

'Fine, fine. I got it. See ya then. Bye!'

I hung up the phone after he clicked off. Time to talk to Hughes.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! I'm back! So sorry I haven't updated in so long! I had a lot of school stuff to do. Projects, finals, that kind of thing. I didn't have much time to write so I only finished this chapter and half of the third. I would have updated sooner but I couldn't find the time. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Since it's summer vacation, I'll be writing and updating a lot more frequently! Please be patient with me though since it's my first time publishing something that other people are actually reading! Please give me some feedback so long as it isn't too harsh! Thanks so much!**

'**word' – talking on the phone**

"**word"- regular speaking**

**Word- thoughts or descriptions**

**Chapter 2**

**EPOV**

The moment I emerged from the room they ambushed me, shoving me back inside.

"Fuery, Hughes, why are you crowding me?"

"We want to know something," said Fuery.

"What? I'll either be truthful or I won't answer, depending on the question."

"First off, why are you going to Central?" Hughes asked.

"To take the State Alchemist exam."

"W-what? But you're just a kid!"

"Perhaps, but I'm sure I know more about alchemy than half the current state alchemists. Sure, it'll be difficult in the military but my brother and I have already been through hell. I'm not gonna tell you my motivation, not now. But I will tell you this- Nothing will stop me. I'm gonna be one of the best State Alchemists Amestris has ever seen, maybe even THE best. Better than our previous Fuhrer even. I know that for a fact."

"No way…." Fuery looked stunned.

Hughes looked somewhat uncomfortable and I'm pretty sure I know what he's gonna say.

"Isn't that a bit arrogant, Ed?"

Ha, I was right.

"No, it's the truth."

"….Oh…..Okay then…. Anyway, could you-"

"Come with me, you need to meet my brother. No rude comments or I'll kick your ass."

~~~0~~~

I walked towards my seat and the hulking suit of armor. I could hear their quick, indrawn gasp and literally felt their hands move towards their guns when they noticed it.

"Fuery, Hughes, don't worry. That's my younger brother."

"Your younger brother? But he's in a huge suit of armor! He's taller than you!" Fuery said

"Yeah, but he is my younger brother and as I said, no rude comments. He's… not exactly innocent but he is still naïve and somewhat sweet natured. So be kind."

Hughes spoke up. "Of course we'll be nice!"

"Good. Now let's go over. Hey Al!"

~~~0~~~

**APOV**

From behind me I heard a voice call out my name. Finally, brother's back! I turn around with a smile on my face, or as much of a smile as a suit of armor can have.

"Ed! You're back! Who are they?"

"This is Hughes and Fuery. They work with Mustang. Hughes agreed to let us stay with him and his wife while I'm taking the exam. Hughes, Fuery, this is my little brother Alphonse."

"You can call me Al! Most everyone does. And it's nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too Al!" The man with the glasses said this. "Oh yeah! Why is Edward taking the S.A. exam? Mustang wouldn't tell me and Ed didn't say a word."

"Well, Ed is-"

"We'll tell you later. Not now. Actually, I'll tell you when Mustang comes to speak with us. Oh, did you tell your wife we were coming?"

-Cutting me off in the middle of a sentence. Oh, brother.

"Shit! I forgot! Excuse me for a moment."

He ran away chanting "She's gonna kill me!" over and over.

"….Well…..Okay then…."

"Nice job Elric! Not many people can figure out how to distract him. Hell, a lot people are afraid of him because of his connection to Mustang. They're best friends."

"Yeah, I figured. I'm a good judge of character."

My older brother IS a good judge of character but he also had someone from the inside informing him of things for eight years of his life. The first eight. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept up with the goings on and knew the names, ages and ranks of every military member. He was trained for this. For what he's doing, what he will do. I just hope….that he'll be okay. That he'll find someone to share this with.

"Al….AL….**AL**!"

"Huh? What?"

"Al, we've arrived. Come on, Hughes is waiting for us."

"Oh, Okay!"


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone!**

**I'm soooo sorry! I know I said I'd be updating more frequently over the summer but obviously I didn't. So…. Sorry. I honestly didn't really have that much going on. I'm embarrassed to say that instead of writing and updating I slept. Until two in the afternoon. Then, I read. Fanfiction for Fullmetal Alchemist, Ghost Hunt and Twilight( I know, I know, typical teenage girl), books by Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb, Christine Feehan, Amanda Ashley, Nina Bangs, Jennifer Estep. Mostly paranormal romance or urban fantasy books. Plus, I got to help my grandmother leave her cheating husband and move back home! I'm really happy she's back. I'll be leaving for vacation in Massachusetts soon but I will be taking my notebook and laptop with me so updates will come! I swear it! I'll be there for about two weeks and I'm so excited! My first time in my 15 (nearly 16) years that I'm going on an actual vacation! Anyway, I started writing this chapter a while back (as most of you know) but I managed to write two entire notebook pages in about ten minutes in study hall! I guess school gets my creative juices flowing! When I have free time at least. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter! I'm going to try and start making them longer but… it probably won't happen. Anyway, please leave reviews! I need some sustenance! But try not flaming me. Constructive criticism is welcome but being unnecessarily cruel is rude. If you don't like the pairing, story line or the way I write then don't read it. I haven't had anyone do this to me, I'd just like to say it ahead of time so that if someone does, it's understood that I will completely flip out on them in a pm. Happy reading!**

** -Linz!**

'**word' – talking on the phone**

"**word"- regular speaking**

**Word- thoughts or descriptions**

Yes, this is really long. An entire page in word. Just figured I'd update you on some things and apologize!

**EPOV**

Central is so big! I'm amazed at the size difference between here and Resembool. Looking out the window of the car all I can see are people!

We drive for around 20 minutes, the crowds of people dwindling until we come to a stop in front of a modest little house in a delightful neighborhood. As the engine shuts off the front door opens, revealing a lovely pregnant woman that is glowing with happiness. Suddenly, Hughes jumps out of the car and runs over to her.

"Gracia! I'm sooo glad to see you!"

He throws himself at her and she steps out of the way, still smiling but with her eyebrow twitching.

"Maes! You didn't even let the boys out of the car before running over here, not did you introduce us! Get to it!"

"Alright… Sorry Gracia…. I'll get them now…."

As he came over we stepped out. I grabbed my suitcase off the floor and walked right past Hughes. I put out my hand and shook Gracia's.

"It's nice to meetcha. I'm Ed Elric and this," I say pointing over my shoulder to the hulking suit of armor, "is my little brother Alphonse. Thank you so much for letting us stay with you."

"Oh, it's no problem! I'm glad you're here and it's nice to meet you both as well! Do come in! You too Maes! Now Ed, Roy stopped by with some books and asked that I give them to you to borrow."

"Oh, those must be the alchemy books! Thanks Gracia! By the way, did he say if he was stopping over tomorrow?"

"He did, and he is. Ed."

"Yeah?"

"Do you really understand those books? No offense, but they seem like they would be too technical for a boy your age."

"For most people my age it probably is difficult. Actually, it's probably difficult for people much older than me to understand too. However, it has always come naturally to me. The components, the organization, the understanding, the doing. I've been using alchemy since I was 5 years old and I've never had trouble understanding it. Al is good at it too thought it takes him a bit more time to understand and process the information. When our mother was alive we always used our alchemy to cheer her up. But when she died…. Anyway, I'm gonna get cracking on these books. I've read one of them, but the others I've only heard about. Excuse me."

I picked up the books and walked into the living room, setting them down on the coffee table. I sat on the couch, picked up a book and began to read. To think there was so much I didn't know! I devoured book after book, not looking up when someone came in or food was put in front of me, though I did eat. Eventually, my head drooped, my eyes drifted shut, and I fell asleep.

~~~0~~~

I was sitting at the breakfast table having just finished the last of the eight books when there was a knock at the door.

"Hello Roy! It's wonderful to see you! Come on into the dining room, we were just having breakfast."

After her greeting, Gracia and Roy made their way to the table exchanging polite conversation. As they sat down, Roy looked at me and opened his mouth as if to speak. Gracia just looked at him and said, "If you want to eat, no shop talk. Now," and went off again on the previous conversation topic.

Al walked into the room halfway through breakfast. He noticed the extra place setting with food on it and I could tell he almost walked out again. Gracia just gave him that look and he sat down.

"Al, why aren't you eating?" she asked.

"Umm…. I…. That is…. It…. Uhhh…."

"He doesn't need to eat. He can't." I told her.

"But… Why? How can he not need to eat?"

"Well-" Al started to speak but I interrupted.

"It's my fault. He is my little brother but he doesn't have a body. He's just a soul bound alchemically to a suit of armor."

"Who-Why-What-When-Where-How?" Hughes asked.

"Let me start at the beginning. When our mom died-" Roy interrupted.

"Before he continues, I need both of you to promise you won't speak a word of this to anyone."

Gracia and Hughes looked at each other for a moment, communicating with their eyes before promising at the same time.

"Alright. Continue Ed."

"Well anyway, I guess I should really start at the beginning. After our dad left Al, mom and I, Al and I began going into his study to explore. One day, we came across the alchemy books. We began to read and teach ourselves. We grew more and more proficient and soon found that seeing us use alchemy made our mother smile. So that was our new goal, to make her smile as often as possible. She was so sad after he was gone…

One day, we came home and found her collapsed on the floor. It was then that we realized she was sick. We began writing and sending letters everywhere we could think of to find our father, all of it in vain. For she died a few hours late… leaving us alone. Orphans.

Soon after, during a rainstorm, the river was flooding. A woman named Izumi Curtis used alchemy to stop the flood and we knew we needed her to teach us. So we asked, and she did.

We studied hard and when we came back home we studied more, but not about normal alchemy, no, about the forbidden. Human Transmutation. We tried; oh we tried to bring her back. Just to see her smile one more time. But then, everything went wrong."


End file.
